A few seasons ago, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden would have never been expected to be left out of the England World Cup 2026 squad.
They were involved in the final loss against Spain. Foden started the match, and Palmer came on to score as the two confirmed their status as one of England’s next big things. They seemed to epitomise the next era for England.
However, with Thomas Tuchel’s expected omissions, this shows just how fast things can turn around in football:
After an incredible journey at Chelsea, from leaving Man City, winning England Men’s Player of the year and PFA Young Player award, but despite scoring 37 league goals in his first two seasons, this season was poor form for the starlet.
Palmer has seen his career flourish, but it has culminated in poor form this season, and even worse still for Foden, who followed an impressive 2023-24 season by going off the boil completely. After a resurgence over Christmas, his form couldn’t hold, and he failed to score again after December.
The decision to exclude seems to be a reflection of recent form and nothing else, with the likes of Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa) and Eberechi Eze (Arsenal) flourishing under Tuchel, whereas Foden and Palmer failed to grasp chances against Uruguay and Japan:
England drew with Uruguay 1-1 and lost 1-0 to Japan, which could cost both players chances. The Uruguay fixture showed that Palmer can struggle at central attacking midfielder, whereas Foden really failed in a number 10 role, being substituted off early in the second half.
However, Eze’s claim has been strengthened with the Aston Villa man bagging three goals in qualifiers and offering energy, pace, and unpredictability in his play.
For both players, the omissions are a harsh reminder that international football doesn’t wait around for you.
